There is a difference between being a “Fan of Jesus” And a “Follower of Jesus!”

A “FAN” of Jesus likes what they see, hear, and what they can get from Jesus. It’s like “free stuff,” who wouldn’t like it. And this is how it is often presented to people. Come to Jesus, He will meet your every desire, make your marriage better, give you a better job, more money, whatever you want Jesus loves you and wants to give you everything you can “believe” Him for. JESUS EXISTS TO SERVE YOU, might as well be the heading, beckoning people to “Come to Jesus!” Nothing about such “cost” in transferring from a “FAN” to a “FOLLOWER of Christ,” – Consider The conditions Jesus says to follow Him, including what He says in Matthew 16:24-“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].”-{Matthew 16:24 Amplified Bible}; or such as suffering for the sake of the Gospel due to identification with Jesus- “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him,”-{Philippians 1:29}


For the “FAN,” has no desire to submit or commit to the authority of Jesus. The “FAN” of Jesus likes the “prosperity Gospel.” They like the “health, wealth and prosperity gospel” Health for ME. Wealth for ME, Prosperity for ME!” They love it!

But it is not the true Gospel just like the “gospel” Paul calls out in Galatians which he says it is “… a different [even contrary] gospel; which is really not another [gospel]; but there are [obviously] some [people masquerading as teachers] who are disturbing and confusing you [with a misleading, counterfeit teaching] and want to distort the gospel of Christ [twisting it into something which it absolutely is not]. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we [originally] preached to you, let him be condemned to destruction!”-{Galatians 1:6-8 Amplified Bible}

Note, who is at the center of the Health for me, wealth for me, prosperity for me “gospel,” it’s not Christ but SELF- ME!

It’s all about SELF, its all for SELF. It’s the self seeking, self promoting, self centered life that characterizes the “FAN” of Jesus! They are in it for what they can get from Jesus. They believe that He exists for them, not they for Him! Paul wrote in Philippians 3:18-19 – ” For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.” Note the evidence they are NOT “Followers “of Christ are; their LIVES.the way the live habituall prove they are Enemies of the Cross of Christ; They are headed for destruction, not Heaven; their god is their appetite; they boast about things that should cause them shame; Their thought life is fixed on the things of this earth, this world system. It is all about them.They live for themselves.  They areFollowers of this world not Jesus Christ. And as John says in 1 John 2:15-17- “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever.” 

In comparion…

The “FOLLOWER” of Jesus, has been convicted by the Holy Spirit that the problem in their lives is sin, specifically their sin! Manifested in selfishness- self centered living, seeking glory, honor, power for themselves and not the Glory of God. They have been convinced that they have sinned against God, that they are incapable of pleasing or satisfying Him or His standards of perfection in their own spiritually bankrupt life. They have NOTHING to offer Him to satisfy Him for their sin. So, by His grace they turn to Him- away from self-justification, trusting in self-righteousness and trust the LORD Jesus Christ, His righteous life, His sinless sacrifice to satisfy God and they embrace Him, committing to Him, submitting to Him. And the LORD having declared the repentant sinner justified- now in right standing with God based on the work of Jesus Christ, begins to work in the “Follower ” of Christ-{Read Romans 5:1; Phil 2:13 nlt} and give new desires, new goals, new loves. It is not perfection but a new direction in their attitudes, actions, ambitions. It is not without its struggles as the “traitor,” the old life still wants to usurp , but now we have a new power and magnificent promises help us, live this new life as “FOLLOWERS” of Jesus Christ. –{Read 2 Peter 1:3-4}. And we now have an Advocate with God, Jesus the righteous when we sin-{Read 1 John 2:1}.

NOTE THE MARKS OF THOSE “BORN OF GOD.” – FOLLOWERS OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and follow His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whoever has been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.”-{1 John 5:1-4}


1.-The Follower of Christ BELIEVES that Jesus is the Son of God. {v 1}

2.-The Follower of Jesus Christ LOVES the Father– { v 1}.

3. -The Follower of Jesus Christ LOVES The ONES BORN OF THE FATHER. – Those who are Followers of Christ- {v 2}

4.-The Follower of Christ lives to OBEY His Word– It is not perfect obedience, but a new desire to obey and a seeking to do so, their thought process is now going in a new direction, out of the love He has demonstrated and does for them, they now respond in love, that is their aim. They do not always hit it, but that is the desire and direction of their lives- OBEDIENCE to His Commandments. -{ v2}

5.- The Follower of Christ OVERCOMES the world system, which is opposed to God. They are no longer slaves to it, but “slaves of righteousness,…slaves of Jesus Christ. They overcome through their FAITH!-{v4} -{ Read Romans 6: 22 ;Jude 1:1}.

Do you see the change that takes place and is progressively taking place in the lives of the “FOLLOWER” of Christ. There is EVIDENCE!

Jesus puts it this way.

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].”-{Matthew 16:24 Amplified Bible}


A “FAN” of Jesus is – Self- motivated, self-Centered. Self- seeking as the bent of their thinking, choices, living, goal

A “FOLLOWER” Of Christ is – Christ centered, Christ motivated, Christ honoring as the bent of their thinking, choices, living, goal and their is Evidence that they are His FOLLOWERS.. not mere “Lip service” for even the “FAN “can say that but there is EVIDENCE as 1 John 5:1-4 teaches that the “fan” does not have, only the “Follower of Jesus” does. For only they have been “born of God”– and have a new life, a spiritual life that commes and manifests some of what it means- the evidence of being “Born again!!!

“Fans” are primarily interested in self, “Followers” are primarily interested in Christ!

Fan Or Follower?

God Bless,

Aidan